Characterization of Biphasic Dielectric Materials for Pulsed Power Applications

Abstract

Spiral generators are a device capable of pulse compression and Radio Frequency signal generation in a single solid state device. It shows great promise for integration into High Power Microwave systems at a large scale, but can be improved by addressing common failure modes. Within the scope of this application space laid out in Chapter 1, the motivation to obtain an alternative dielectric solution to address the most common failure modes of the currently used polymer films is established. An overview of dielectric physics of materials within the context of this scope is explored in Chapter 2, where the key characteristics of a proposed dielectric solution are established. The search for an existing alternative dielectric solution is detailed in Chapter 3, where the challenge of obtaining the material properties within the ranges of conditions established in the project scope becomes evident. The novel application space makes using COTS parts and reported data insufficient to properly obtain a solution that addresses the project motivations thoroughly. A novel solution of using a biphasic dielectric system is proposed.

In order to evaluate biphasic dielectric systems in the context of the project application space, a survey of modeling methods is outlined in Chapter 4. Given the inherent challenges of predicting dielectric behavior, there is no scientific consensus on the superiority or applicability of the models presented. This investigation fills this knowledge gap by evaluating the models and mathematical parameters for the candidate materials at the conditions dictated by the application space by performing the experiments and data analysis outlined in 5 to obtain the results presented in 6.

This investigation yields new data, establishes a systematic procedure for evaluating new biphasic dielectric materials within a novel application space, and analyzes unpredicted observations in Chapter 8. It discusses model applicability and supports the development of predictive models for the materials tested. Ultimately, this research facilitates the evaluation and integration of an advanced dielectric solution, contributing to significant advancements in the state of the art for spiral generator technology.